A flange seal of this type and a sealing arrangement of this type are each known from DIN 32676.
The sealing arrangement comprises two flanges that are arranged mutually coaxially and axially adjacent and are interconnected in a sealing manner by a flange seal that is clamped in the axial direction.
The flanges and the flange seal together form a tubular line, through which a medium to be sealed can flow.
On the mutually facing faces thereof, the flanges each comprise a groove, thickenings of the sealing element of the flange seal being arranged in the grooves in a sealing manner.
On the radially inner face, the flange seal comprises a sealing edge, the internal diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the tubular line.
EP 2 334 959 B1 discloses a flange seal for sealing a hygienic tube.
The flange seal comprises an annular support body comprising an inner periphery and an outer periphery and two end faces that are covered at least in part by the elastomer material of the sealing element. Only the axial end stops arranged on the end faces on both sides, which each form a component of the support body, are not covered.
The support body has an internal diameter that is slightly larger than the internal diameter of the flanges, the inner circumferential face of the support body, viewed in the cross section of the sealing arrangement, being enclosed substantially in a U-shape by the rubbery-elastic material of the sealing element. When the flange seal is assembled, it has an internal diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the flanges.
In the above-described prior art, thermal expansion and/or swelling would lead to the rubbery-elastic material of the sealing element expanding/swelling radially inwards, entirely in the radial direction, even to such an extent that the sealing edge of the sealing element protrudes radially inwards into the cavity delimited by the flanges. As a result, the flow cross section for the medium to be sealed is undesirably constricted by the flanges, and undesirable eddies in the medium to be sealed may occur.
A further drawback is that the sealing edge may be sheared off for example when cleaning the flange, mechanical particles may be released as a result, and the sealing edge may no longer seal reliably as a result of damage of this type.